New Mexico State women's basketball holds off UMKC for home win

LAS CRUCES — The New Mexico State women’s basketball team remained atop the conference standings with a 70-62 victory over Missouri-Kansas City on Saturday. UMKC dropped to 3-3 in the league.

The Aggies improved to 11-9 on the season and 5-1 in Western Athletic Conference play. Saturday was NMSU’s last game at the Pan American Center for three weeks as the Aggies face three consecutive road games.

“I feel really confident in the team," said Aggies guard Brooke Salas, who had 24 points on Saturday on 10 of 13 shooting with 14 rebounds. "There was a little bit of an adjustment early in the year because there were so many different pieces. I think we have started to gel fairly well and it will only go up from here."

NMSU led by as many as 16 points in the first half, but it was a two possession game in the final minute before Jasmine Cooper blocked an Aries Washington attempted 3-pointer with 30 seconds left. Pack hit two free throws with 24 seconds left to secure the Aggies’ second straight win and sixth victory in their last seven games.

"When you get in league, every game is going to be tough," Aggies head coach Brooke Atkinson said. "The fact that we did buckle down, got stops when we needed to, made free throws when we needed to and got the ball in our point guard's hands, I'm proud of that.

"It's a game of runs and we knew they would do that. It is just more experience for our kids."

Gia Pack scored the Aggies first seven points as NMSU rattled off the first 14 points of the game and led 25-11 after the first quarter.

Shots stopped falling against UMKC’s zone in the second quarter, as NMSU went nearly six minutes without scoring. NMSU shot 3 of 15 (20 percent) from the field in the second quarter, allowing UMKC to make it 32-23 at halftime.

"We hit shots early but I think we kind of settled later on," Atkinson said. "You have to understand that we have Brooke Salas at the (high post) and we have to make sure to work through her inside-out and just get a good shot and make them defend."

NMSU led 50-36 entering the fourth quarter, but a UMKC lay up off of one of the Aggies’ seven fourth quarter turnovers to make it 50-42 with 9:01 to play.

Washington made it a two-point game at 50-48 with a lay up with 6:57 to play, but Pack hit a floater, Salas hit a pair of free throws and Tonishia Childress scored off a UMKC turnover to push the lead back to 59-51 with 3:11 to play.

The Aggies were 14 of 20 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter and finished 45.5 percent from the field and 6 of 19 (31.6 percent) from 3-point range for the game.

“It's something to address in practice letting them back in the game," Salas said. "We have to finish better and make better decisions with the ball. You also have to give credit where credit is due."

Sports Editor Jason Groves can be reached at 575-541-5459 or jgroves@lcsun-news.com. Follow him on Twitter @jpgroves.